Fence-machine



(No Model.)

J. D. LOVING.

FENGB MAGHINE.

Patented Nov.' 10,1896.

I v, M W

UNITED, STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES D. LOVING, OF BOWLING GREEN, KENTUCKY.

FENCLM ACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 570,938, dated November10, 1896. Application filed July 28, 1896. Serial No. 600,829. (Nomodel.)

To all whom t may concern.-

Be it known that I, JAMES D. LOVING, a citizen of the United States,residing at Bowling Green, in the county of Warren and State ofKentucky, have invented a new and useful Fence-Machine, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to machines for wir ing wood fencing andconstructing fences of longitudinal wires or cables and verticalpickets, the latter being bound in between the strands or companionwires by crossing the latter between them.

vAn object of the invention is to provide a. machine for the purposeaforesaid which will be light, easily manipulated, durable, compact inthe disposition of its parts, comprise a minimum number of element-s,admit 0f the fence-wires being quickly and easily placed in position orremoved, and which in part will be automatic in its action after thetwisters pass a central or intermediate point.

For a full understanding of the merits and advantages of the inventionreference is to be had to the accompanying` drawings and the followingdescription.

The improvement is susceptible of various changes in the form,proportion,and the minor details of construction without departing fromthe principleor sacrificing any of the advantages thereof, and to a fulldisclosure of the invention an adaptation thereof is shown in theaccompanying drawings, in whichp Figure l is a perspective view of asection of picket fencing, showing it in course of construction andtheimproved machine in operative relation. Figs. 2 and 3 are detail viewsof a wire-twister as seen from opposite sides and in its extremepositions. Fig. 4 is a detail view showing the manner of moving theparts to provide for the insertion or the removal of the wires.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the followingdescription and indicated in the several views of the drawings by thesame reference-characters- The improved machine is illustrated asprovided with three wire-twisting devices, one at each end and one at orabout the center. In this construction the machine is adapted tosimultaneously and with one either upward or downward movement of thehand cross top, bottom, and central wires between the pickets. Whendesired, however, only the top and bottom wire twisting devices need beengaged with wires, or the machine may be provided with top, bottom, andas many intermediate twisting devices as may be desired. y

l l is the frame, which consistsof a straight flat bar, as shown, and 2is a curved bracebar bolted at its ends to the bar l, as indicated at 3,and not only serving, by reason of its curvature, to strengthen saidmain bar l, but also providing a hand-grasp, should such be desired inthe operation of the device.

4 is the operating-handle or hand-grasp by means of which the frame l,carrying the wire-twisters, is reciprocated vertically up and downparallel with the pickets of the fence and across the path of thefence-wires in the operation of crossing said wires. The terminals 5 ofthis handle or hand-grasp 4 are slightly curved,so as to restthe oneagainst one face and the other against the other face of the frame l, towhich they are bolted or riveted, as shown at 6. When awire-twistingdevice is, as shown in the drawings, locatedat or about the center ofthe frame l, the ends 5 of the handle rest against the adjacent faces ofand are bolted or riveted to a curved vbridge piece or plate carryingthe central wiretwister, the bolts or rivets in such case passingthrough both the terminals of the handle and the inner ends of saidbridge-plate.

The devices for crossing the wires so as to secure the pickets inposition, and located at the bottom and top of the frame l andintermediate thereof,rare each of identicahconstruction. Therefore itwill be necessary only to describe one in detail.

7 represents a bridge, which serves as a bearing and support for thewire-twisting mechanism. This bridge is composed of a pair of curvedplates 8, which are bolted or riveted at their ends 9 to opposite sidesof the frame l, as at 10, so as to practically straddle said frame. Aplate ll is rockingly pivoted at l2 between the bridge-plates S, and hasa IOO curved inner end 13, which, as the frame is reciprocated while thewires are 'gripped by the twister, operates and obtains a bearing on theadjacent edge of the frame l, and opcrates with a pair of springs,presently to be described, to cause the throw of the twisting device toone side or the other of the bridge with such positive, uniform, andrapid movement as to insure the crossing of the wires. The outer end ofthis plate 11 is formed with inclined edges 14, which serve as slidewaysupon which wedge or tapering dogs 15 move and to which the clamp-plates16, one on each side of the plate 11, are pivoted, as at 17. Notches 18are formed in the inner or rear edges of the clamp-plates 16 and similarbut reversely-disposed notches 19 in the respective side edges of theplate 1l, at the base of the inclined portions thereof. Vithin thesenotches are held the wires to be crossed. A pair of spiral springs 20are connected at their respective ends in any suitable manner to theportion of the frame 1 adjacent to the bridge and to the clamp-plates 16and the adjacent portion of the rocking plate 11. The drawings show apreferred mode of securing the spring connection between the frame andthe wire-twisting mechanism by passing a link or eyed rod 21 through ahole 22 in the frame 1, to the ends of which link or rod one end of therespective springs is connected, the other ends of said springs beingsimilarly connected to another link or eyed rod 23, passed through holesin the clamp-plates 16 and the rocking plate 11. In this'arrangement thelinks or eyed rods have rocking bearing in said holes, by which meansundue friction in the oscillatory movements of the parts is avoided andthe sidewise oscillation of the springs as the twisters are eitherraised or lowered is provided for.

The operation of the improved wire-twister, as well as its construction,is verysimple. It can be readily and cheaply constructed and easily andconveniently manipulated. The wires to be crossed are attached to thefencepost and supported in the usual manner, so as to admit of theautomatic unreeling thereof as the-fence is being built. Y The machineis placed in position on the wires with a pair of wires or strandscomprising a cable located in the respective notches 19 of a plate 11,the clamp-plates 16 being alternately moved outward at their ends, so asto admit of the wires being passed into the notches 1S and 19. .Vhenplacing the wires in position, one cnd of the clamp-plates is movedoutward against the tension of the springs 20, said plates turning upontheir pivotal connection 17, with the dog 15 at their opposite ends, andafter the wire is placed in position the end moved outward is releasedand is drawn inward by the action of the springs 20. The opposite end ofthe clamp-plates is moved in a similar manner, the plates turning upontheir pivotal connection 17, with the dog at the end of the plates firstmoved, and when the second wire is seated within the notches 18 and 19the clamp-plates are released and the wires are retained in place in therespective notches by the retractile action of the springs 20.

The operator then grasps the handle 4 and draws the frame down or raisesit, as the case may be, according to the position of the twistingmechanism relatively to the supportingbridge.y This act exerts tensionon the Wires contained within the notched portions already 'referred toand on the clamp-plates 16 and the plates 11, which plates 11 and 16then rock on their pivotal and spring connections and turn over to aposition the reverse of which they formerly occupied and against theopposite side edge of the bridges, thereby carrying with them thefence-wires held by the dogs and turning and crossing the Wires, as willbe readily understood. A picket is then placed between the wires andadjacent to their crossing. The operator then reverses the movement ofthe frame, which act restores the clamping devices to their formerposition and consequently again crosses the wires still clamped betweenthe plates 16 and 11. The frame is then slid along the wires asufficient distance and moved vertically to again cross the wires.Another picket is then placed in position, the frame is again movedvertically in the reverse direction, and another cross given to thewires. This operation of iirst either drawing down or raising the frameto cross the wires held by the clamp and rocking plates, then insertinga picket, then moving the frame in the reverse vertical direction tocross the wires against the picket, and then sliding the frame along thewires for a repetition of the operation is continued until the end ofthe line at which it is desired to construct the fence is reached, whenthe frame is removed from the wires and the ends of said Wires fastenedto a post in the usual manner.

From the foregoing it will be understood that the machine islabor-saving, holds the wires in place While positioning the pickets,can be easily and readily applied to or detached from the fence-wires,lmaintains the latter in working rel-ation, and prevents them fromaccidental displacement while the machine is in service, and the machineis so constructed that it can be operated by one hand, leaving the otherhand free to place IOO IIO

the pickets in position after the wires have been crossed to secure thepicket previously bound between the wires by crossing them in frontthereof.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is 1. In afence-machine, the combination of a frame, a plate having pivotalconnection with the frame and adapted to have the wires applied thereto,and a spring connection between the plate and frame to throw the plateto one side or the other when turned to and moved slightly beyond aposition in which a straight line will pass through the pivotal supportof the plate and the points of attachment of the spring connection withthe plate and frame, substantially as set forth.

2. In a fence-machine, the combination of a plate having inclinedslideways, a clamp having pivotal connection with the plate, and dogspivoted upon the clamp and adapted to move upon the slideways,substantially as and for the purpose described.

3. A fence -wire twister consisting of a frame, a notched platerockingly mounted thereon, a clamp having a notched lower edge andhaving rocking bearing on said rocking plate, and a spring connectingsaid clamp, rocking plate, and frame, substantially as and for thepurpose set forth.

4. A fence-wire twister consisting of a frame, a plurality ofbridge-pieces mounted thereon, plates rockingly pivoted on said bridgesand having curved inner ends and notched edges, clamp-plates havingnotched under edges and having rocking bearing on said rocking plates,springs connecting said rocking plates, clamp-plates, and frame, and anoperating-handle for vertically reciproeating said frame, substantiallyas and for the purpose set forth.

5. A fence wire twister consisting of a frame, a plurality of curvedbridge-plates connected therewith, plates having rocking bearing on saidbridge-plates and having curved rear ends and at their upper portionsnotched edges and inclined ways, dogs adapted to reciprocate along saidways, plates located on opposite sides of said dogs and having notchedunder edges and rockin gly connected with said dogs, eyed rods or linkshaving rocking bearing in slots or holes in said frame and notchedplates, respectively, springs connected with said eyed rods or links,and an operating-handle attached to the frame for verticallyreciprocating the same, substanp tially as and for the purpose setforth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JAS. D. LOVING.

Witnesses:

W. H. MILLER, '.T. G. BURCH.

